Meta

Google+ for iOS

Google’s social network Google+ is a nice way to keep up with friends, family acquaintances and more in what are called circles. A Google+ user can add their people they wish to keep in contact with or people who they would like to share information with to certain circles, and only selected circles will see your shared content. Facebook has attempted this, but it does not seem to have been as much a success as it has with Google+

The app

Google released the Google+ app for iOS and Android to allow mobile viewers the ability to post and view items on Google+. The app essentially lets the user do anything that can be done on the web site including hangouts.

App Accessibility

While the app is a great extension of Google+, there are issues when it comes to blind and low vision users. Many areas of this app are accessible, but portions that one would think would be read are skipped over by VoiceOver. For example, The post details are read, but the body of a post will not be read out loud. The text is clearly on the screen, but flicking right and left, or single tapping on that text produces silence. If these issues could be fixed, then this app would make the Google+ network more inviting to low vision to blind users.

Concludison

If you can use Zoom to read your iOS device, then I highly recommend that you give Google+ for iOS a try. You probably have a google account, which means you have a Google+ account as well. If you use VoiceOver, then I urge you to contact Google, and ask that they work to improve accessibility for this app.